Dancing Basics

Boogie Woogie began as a musical style in the 1900s. It was characterized by quick piano rolls and repeated notes. Songs that epitomize Boogie Woogie are "Shake, Rattle and Roll" played by Big Joe...

This pattern is one of those "evergreen" basics that will always be part of any routine. That's true whether it's social or competitive. It can be done to the left or to the right, and it can also...

Footwork is always the first thing you learn in any dance and lays the foundation for the movement you are about to do. The American Cha Cha, although not nearly as complex as her foreign sister...

The 3 step turn to the right is slightly rarer than its sister to the left. However, it is still a necessary basic to practice so that you are a well rounded dancer. It can be an exciting pattern...

The three step turn can be a fun turn for both male and female dancers above the Bronze level. It is a simple and effective method to add some speed and directional change in your routine. Yes,...

The three step turn is a necessary basic move. It exists in any routine above the Bronze level. Although most people think of the turn in its footwork configuration, there are body action...

The three-step turn to the right is less commonly seen than its sister to the left, yet it is still an important component of good dancing. You must be able to turn equally well on both sides, and...

The three-step turn to the left is the more popular out of the two three-step turns that are possible to perform, and can be accomplished at many different levels. Once you have mastered the...

The alemana is one of the most popular techniques ever utilized in Latin dancing, and can be seen with its full power in the slow dance of Rumba. Although it can also be done in Salsa and Cha Cha,...

The right underarm turn is a great turn you can use to spice up your portfolio of patterns anytime you go social dancing or if you are writing a routine with a partner. It is a fun turn that is...

The right underarm turn, or reverse turn, is a rarer pattern than its sister the underarm turn, or alemana. Although it is not seen as much in traditional choreography or social dancing routines,...

The spiral turn is a popular technique and a necessary basic action in Latin dancing. There are two ways to perform the spiral - from a forward walk position and from a delayed walk, or CBMP...

Spiral turns are a beautiful technique utilized mostly in competitive-level dancing. They are most popular in the Rumba, as the slowed rhythm allows ample time for demonstrating the technique and...

The forward walk turn is a popular dance technique that is utilized in many scenarios. These scenarios range from social to competitive. It is a useful basic dance step to understand. It's known...

Tear up the dance floor with a perfectly executed routine with your dancing partner. Learn to execute the right turn correctly with your partner from a professional dance instructor in this free...

Impress your friends with some fancy footwork on the dance floor. Learn some tips for the two o'clock right turn from a professional dance instructor in this free video.

Performing an open break right turn dance move requires timing and skill. Learn to do this little dance routine from a professional dance instructor in this free video.

The broken left turn dance step is a fun move to enjoy with your dancing partner. Learn more about the broken left turn from a professional dance instructor in this free video.

Half turns are pivots that take you from facing the front to the back. Then you do the second half turn when you pivot back in the same direction you just came from. This vibrant dance takes up...

The cha-cha is a traditional Latin dance that's grown in popularity since it's debut in New York City in the mid-1900s. The turn is such an intricate part of the cha-cha dance that doing a bad...

The jive is just like swing dancing but much faster. In competition the jive is the last dance performed due to its quickness. There are many variations of the jive-single, double and triple-each...

The inside turn is quite possibly one of the most popular dance moves. There are two major types of turns: the inside turn and the outside turn. The inside turn allows the man to bring the woman...

Dancers perform the outside turn as an extension to lead into another type of dance or as an exit after an inside turn has been successfully completed. The outside turn gives the woman the chance...